Tackling Anemia With Turkey Berry

In Ghana, where iron-deficiency anemia remains a serious public health challenge, Achiever Foods is leveraging a local crop—turkey berry—to provide a local solution. CEO and cofounder Millicent Agidipo Adoboe first learned about the benefits of turkey berry (known as abedru in Ghana) from a hospital nurse during her own life-threatening experience with iron-deficiency anemia.

Inspired by the power of this traditional medicinal food to help her recover her health, she cofounded Achiever Foods in 2018 with husband, Bright Atawiah Adoboe, a chemist. As co-CEOs, Millicent and Bright have focused their company’s efforts toward developing palatable, convenient turkey berry products like beverages and mix-in powders that offer consumers an easy way to boost iron intake and reduce their risk of anemia.

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, rates of anemia are alarmingly high, at a prevalence of nearly 42% (Tirore et al. 2024), with girls and women of menstruating age at particular risk. The condition is linked to a wide range of problems, impacting energy levels, cognitive development, academic performance, work productivity, and pregnancy outcomes. Associated pregnancy complications such as premature birth and low birth weight disadvantage the next generation, perpetuating the cycle of poor health. Dried turkey berry, which provides 15% of the Nutrient Reference Value for iron per 100 grams (supporting a Codex “source of iron” claim) provides an exciting new opportunity to address the problem.

In a recent study, researchers evaluated the impact of supplementation with turkey berry–fortified biscuits on adolescent girls in four schools in the Ahafo Region of Ghana, with promising results. After six weeks of supplementation, there was a significant increase in the girls’ hemoglobin levels and cognitive performance as measured through test scores (Appiah et al. 2023).

One of the initial challenges Achiever Foods faced during product development was turkey berry’s tartness and bitterness. Beginning with a powder produced through a proprietary drying process, they experimented with various flavorful ingredients like fennel, ginger, turmeric, and cocoa that could mask turkey berry’s off notes. They relied on the use of taste panels to refine their formulations and ultimately achieve success.

The company now sells 19 products within three product lines: turkey berry tea, ready-to-drink juice, and powder. The flavored powders are versatile and can be mixed into hot cereals, yogurt, and smoothies, as well as soups and stews. Available in grocery stores, health food stores, and pharmacies in Ghana, the products are also exported to Kenya, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Achiever Foods’ product marketing remains strongly focused on reproductive-age women in Ghana and includes outreach in hospitals and raising awareness among dietitians, nurses, and midwives. Honored with the prestigious Generation Africa Impact Award for work in improving the nutritional health of pregnant women, the company looks forward to expanding its reach, supported by the equipment upgrades, packaging improvements, and new distribution strategies that are underway.ft